While the Opera House was heating up, Nicasia’s hands were growing cold.
Murmur, from the very beginning of the opera until the end, held her hand as if she had anticipated this future.
“Why did I make such a foolish choice… I could have left right after the second act…”
Nicasia roughly bit her softly lipsticked lips.
She was enduring the pain to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if blood spilled out.
The moment Nicasia realized the opera’s content was terribly wrong, she couldn’t get up from her seat.
Because getting up and running away would mean admitting that the carefully prepared adult date had gone wrong from the start.
“I should have run away… I should have run away…”
Nicasia, filled with belated regret, glanced at Murmur without even letting out a sigh.
The other protagonist of the date, Murmur, had an astonishingly calm expression.
She wasn’t angry, laughing, frowning, or crying.
“Thinking about it, Murmur has had this expression from the start…”
Nicasia’s mind was too jumbled to clearly remember Murmur’s expression.
The important thing was that Murmur, right now, was watching the opera with an incredibly calm expression, as if it were nothing.
The opera was singing its final scene after passing its joyful climax.
─ “Blood on sacred ground, Traitors show their face.”
─ “My beloved saintess, I must keep you safe.”
Behind the hero singing under the crimson lights stood the saintess, bleeding.
The pitch-black darkness devoured the stage, and the hero in splendid armor swung his sword at the slowly approaching demon.
At first, the naked demons attacked the hero, then demons dressed in clothes, and then a few comrades who had adventured with the hero swung their weapons.
“… … Traitors, huh.”
The opera’s content was so blatant that Nicasia felt dizzy.
Her hands grew colder, and when Murmur slightly moved her head, Nicasia turned to look at her in surprise.
Ironically, Murmur’s expression remained calm, and she had only moved her head slightly to sip her soda through a straw.
─ “Those who side with them, Demons in disguise”
─ “Though my light may fade, Truth will never die”
As the opera neared its end, the final song raced toward its conclusion.
The hero of the Holy Nation defeated the demons and traitors but sacrificed himself to protect the saintess.
This scene was the most painful for Nicasia.
In this scene, packaged as a heroic sacrifice, the hatred people held for demons was merely justified.
The saintess, protected by the hero, embraced the dying hero with both hands and shed tears.
The protagonist of the song naturally shifted to the saintess, her voice tragic and filled with vengeance.
At the same time, it was astonishingly sacred.
‘What should I say… What should I say to make Murmur not feel bad…’
Watching the saintess sing of avenging demons and traitors, Nicasia clenched her teeth.
She should have gotten up right after the second act.
She should have honestly admitted that the adult date had failed and apologized to Murmur.
‘Why… did I make such a stupid choice… What, what even is an adult date… What even is an adult…’
Nicasia swallowed dryly from thirst.
She could have gulped down a sweet drink by moving her left hand slightly, but that wasn’t the drink she wanted.
Born half into the adult world, she wanted a drink that could let her escape from this painful reality.
─ “See the hero fall, By the traitors’ hand.”
─ “Till we purge them all, Peace won’t bless this land!”
Applause and cheers erupted from the audience as the long opera ended.
The creaking of chairs, excited voices chatting, and footsteps all mixed together.
All those sounds grated on Nicasia’s ears.
The final chorus wasn’t just sung by the actors; the audience joined in, leaving Nicasia even more speechless.
“Ha… it really was a moving opera.”
“The hero throwing down his holy sword to protect the saintess is something I could watch over and over.”
“Hmph… if it weren’t for those filthy demons, they could have lived happily ever after.”
“Isn’t it ridiculous that those demons still shamelessly stand shoulder to shoulder with us?”
Amid the applause and condemnation, Nicasia bowed her head again.
The actors on stage, after finishing their song, held hands and walked out, singing the joyful song from the first act as they took their bows.
While everyone in the Opera House was enjoying the ‘festival,’ Nicasia couldn’t say a word and kept her head down.
‘What should I say… Ah, what should I say…’
Swallowing the words rising in her throat, Nicasia’s throat hurt.
An apology? An excuse? Nothing seemed like it could undo this situation.
Should she make an excuse?
Should she say she really knew nothing?
… … What can I even say after showing such an opera on a date?
Nicasia sweated coldly, pressing her thighs together and fidgeting.
‘Murmur must be angry…’
Unable to swallow properly, Nicasia turned to look at Murmur.
Small and cute Murmur.
The child she had come to like so much.
The demon with beautiful crimson horns and sky-blue hair still had a calm expression, looking at the stage and the audience.
‘… Nicasia, Nicasia… you have to say something. You have to take responsibility. If you made a mistake, you have to face the consequences.’
Clenching her teeth, Nicasia felt like she was going to throw up.
After making such a ridiculous mistake, she wanted to strangle herself for saying, “It’ll really be fun!” when getting out of the carriage.
“Mu… Murmur…”
The voice that came from Nicasia’s mouth had none of her usual confidence.
It was quieter than the sound of an ant crawling.
“Yes, Nicasia.”
Murmur’s voice was the same as always.
Clear, pure, and cute.
“It’s just…”
Nicasia’s head was spinning.
She couldn’t even imagine what to say to fully convey her feelings.
Her hands grew colder, and her stomach ached.
In contrast, Murmur’s expression was astonishingly mature.
She still held Nicasia’s cold hand with her soft, warm one, interlacing their fingers.
From that touch, Nicasia felt a strange sense of calm.
Ironically, she was now feeling the “maturity” she had wanted to show Murmur.
“Murmur enjoyed the first act.”
“Ah… really?”
Unlike Nicasia, who was so nervous and guilty she wanted to go to the bathroom, Murmur’s voice was peaceful.
Even the content of the conversation was soft and gentle.
“But from the second act, it wasn’t great.”
“R… right? Murmur didn’t like it, did you?”
“Yeah, the hero Murmur imagines isn’t like that. So it wasn’t great.”
It wasn’t like she was shouting that she really hated it.
Like friends reading a book and exchanging thoughts, Murmur softly shared her opinion with Nicasia.
Her actions and words were astonishingly mature.
“Me too! Me too, Murmur! The hero is definitely not like that!”
“Yeah, the hero is someone who protects precious people. Not someone who slaughters and kills indiscriminately.”
“Thinking about that, I got chills. Everyone was clapping like they felt relieved.”
“Murmur was fine because Nicasia was next to me.”
Gulp, Nicasia swallowed and fidgeted with Murmur’s hand.
“Was I… really stupid?”
“Murmur doesn’t think so. You didn’t know what the opera was about, right?”
“But, you know… for Murmur, it must have been an incredibly unpleasant opera.”
“But Nicasia didn’t know, right?”
Murmur smiled maturely and gently shook Nicasia’s hand up and down.
Murmur’s unwavering attitude from start to end made Nicasia feel even more sorry.
“… Not knowing doesn’t make it okay.”
“Murmur thinks it’s okay if you didn’t know. Nicasia just wanted to enjoy the opera with Murmur.”
Nicasia finally shed a tear she had been holding back.
“That’s right… I wanted to enjoy the opera with Murmur. I wanted to have a fun conversation, not this.”
“Like talking about how Murmur would become a great hero and celebrate with Nicasia?”
“Pfft… yeah. That’s what I wanted to talk about. A happier, more joyful, and unique… adult date.”
Nicasia shed a few more tears as she continued.
“I… know a little. I know what adults do, what adults like. And among those, there were things I wanted to show Murmur first.”
“So that’s why you wanted to watch the opera with Murmur today?”
“Yes… it’s really petty and mean, isn’t it? A really low thought.”
Nicasia let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“Citrine and Monica can’t do this. So you thought only Nicasia could do it?”
“… … Yes.”
Nicasia honestly admitted.
The reason she wanted to show Murmur an adult date was ironically rooted in a very childish thought.
Something only Nicasia could do.
Something only I, who am half-living in the adult world, can do.
To show Murmur something other kids can’t do, to monopolize her.
As she said herself, it was very childish… and a bit mean.
“Murmur had fun though.”
“… But.”
“Murmur had a lot of fun today?”
“Murmur…”
“Why is it bad that Nicasia wanted to do something special for Murmur?”
Nicasia chuckled.
“Thank you… for thinking positively. Even though I ruined the date.”
“Nicasia didn’t ruin anything. Murmur and Nicasia are still enjoying the opera and having a fun conversation, right?”
There was a certain warmth in Murmur’s words.
It felt like they were warmly wrapping around Nicasia’s anxious heart.
“… … This isn’t what I imagined.”
Ironically, Nicasia was feeling quite good now.
Unlike the misery of feeling like she was drowning in mud earlier, talking about the bad parts of the opera and being comforted by Murmur made her feel much more at ease.
“There’s no story where the hero succeeds at everything. Nicasia.”
“… …”
“Everyone fails. Murmur is really happy that Nicasia worked hard to give her an adult date today.”
“Murmur seems several times more mature than me.”
Nicasia managed to smile, feeling like she had been forgiven.
“… … The opera was really bad.”
“Murmur thinks so too. Except for the last scene.”
“There was a good part?!”
“Yeah, the hero sacrificed himself to protect the saintess he loved, right?”
Nicasia blinked.
“To find something good in such a terrible song…”
“Murmur thinks that a hero is someone who would do anything for someone they truly care about. Even if the hero in rags…”
Murmur smiled.
“No matter how many demons he killed or traitors he executed… deep down, he was good. Murmur can forgive him.”
“… … Murmur really is the child who will become a hero.”
Nicasia unknowingly imagined it.
A story where Murmur saves her, buried in the adult world.
“Anyway… I’m sorry for ruining the date. Murmur.”
“The opera was really bad, but Murmur had fun.”
“Huhu, what’s that really.”
Though Nicasia smiled comfortably, she wasn’t as happy as when she first planned the date.
‘… I really did something stupid today.’
Nicasia rolled her eyes, wishing all the audience members would disappear.
‘… … Bringing Murmur to Holimpia… it’s like petting a hungry wolf naked.’
How much the nobles of Holimpia hate demons.
How much ordinary adults despise demons.
Nicasia knew that better than anyone, yet she made a mistake.
‘Nicasia… you idiot…’
Insulting herself, Nicasia took a deep breath.
The adult date ends here.
She couldn’t leave Murmur in the adult world, where they sharpen their knives to curse her.
Nicasia made up her mind.
“Mu-”
“Nicasia.”
For a moment, they looked at each other.
“Y, you go first. Murmur.”
Nicasia smiled awkwardly.
“Murmur really enjoyed the date Nicasia prepared today.”
“… I’m glad you said that.”
“But Nicasia’s face is full of dark clouds. So Murmur thought.”
With a bounce, Murmur stood up and held out her right hand.
“Murmur has a proposal.”
Nicasia smiled slightly.
Murmur’s impromptu date sounded more fun than the disastrous adult date.
“Tell me. Murmur. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Murmur will make Nicasia an adult.”
“… … What?”
Nicasia’s cheeks turned red without her realizing.
“W, what do you mean?”
“From now on, Murmur and Nicasia will become adults. We’ll enjoy the adult date Murmur thought of.”
Murmur held out her small, soft right hand.
“An adult…”
“Murmur knows Nicasia doesn’t want to become an adult. But today, you wanted an adult date, right?”
Had she said that…?
Nicasia felt suddenly exposed and embarrassed but nodded.
“Yes… I wanted an adult date with Murmur.”
“Okay, so from now on, let’s do the date Murmur thought of. Only Murmur and Nicasia can secretly become adults for today.”
Nicasia gulped and rolled her eyes.
Sweat started pouring for a different reason than before, and she pressed her thighs together again.
“Okay… let’s do that. Murmur.”
After some thought, Nicasia firmly took Murmur’s hand.
Still small and soft, but surprisingly reliable.
“Make me an adult today… Murmur.”
As she said that, Nicasia realized her voice was different from usual.
Not the voice trying hard to sound mature, but one filled with genuine anticipation.
“Yeah, it’s going to be an incredibly fun night. It’s good to look forward to it.”
Murmur energetically pulled Nicasia up and smiled.
“From now on, Nicasia and Murmur will do something only adults can do.”
Nicasia’s cheeks flushed with rising excitement.
